Method and arrangement for redirection of terminal

• US 9,307,566 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2011
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Andr-Jnsson, Henrik, Axn, Rasmus
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Asefa, Debebe
• Application Number:
  US13/981,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20130315207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,894 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00224 between packet switched [PS] and circuit switched [CS] network technologies, e.g. circuit switched fallback [CSFB]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure

Abstract

Methods and arrangements for handling shortcomings when a wireless user terminal (200), currently using a first connection (2:1) with a first network node (202), is redirected to a second connection in a release-with-redirect process. The connection first network node sends a first redirect message (2:2) to the terminal with an instruction to attach to the second connection. The terminal then sends a message (2:5) to the first network node which comprises a failure indication indicating that the terminal has made a failed attempt (2:3) to attach to the second connection. The first network node then identifies (2:6) a cause for the failed attempt by using the failure indication. The first network node also performs at least one of: sending (2:7) a second redirect message to the terminal based on the identified cause, and providing (2:9) the identified cause to a network management function, to enable adaptation of the release-with-redirect process.

Claims

1. A method in a first network node for handling shortcomings when a wireless user terminal using a first connection is redirected to a second connection in a release-with-redirect process, the method comprising:

sending a first redirect message to the terminal with an instruction to attach to the second connection;

receiving a message from the terminal with a failure indication;

identifying a cause for a failed attempt made by the terminal to attach to the second connection, by using said failure indication; and

performing at least one of;

sending a second modified redirect message to the terminal based on the identified cause, wherein the second redirect message is revised from the first redirect message based on the identified cause; and

providing the identified cause to a network management function, to enable adaptation of said release-with-redirect process.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message from the terminal includes information indicating that the cause is related to at least one of:

1) the terminal could not properly attach to the second connection using system information in said first redirect message;

     2) the terminal could not properly attach to the second connection using system information provided by the second connection;

     3) system information in said first redirect message was not valid;

     4) the terminal was not admitted to said second connection; and

     5) the terminal has not received any response over the second connection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network node polls the terminal in response to the failure indication, to obtain said cause from the terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified cause is provided to the network management function to enable at least one of:

1) examining distribution of system information from a network of the second connection to a network of the first connection;

     2) examining availability of a cell of the second connection; and

     3) examining configurations of one or more cells affecting the second connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein if it can be deduced from the identified cause that system information in said first redirect message is not valid, said system information is omitted in the second redirect message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second redirect message suggests a new cell of a third connection different from a cell of the second connection suggested by the first redirect message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said message with a failure indication is received in a connection request from the terminal.

8. An apparatus in a first network node configured to handle shortcomings when a wireless user terminal using a first connection is redirected to a second connection in a release-with-redirect process, the apparatus comprising:

a redirecting unit adapted to send a first redirect message to the terminal with an instruction to attach to the second connection;

a receiving unit adapted to receive a message from the terminal with a failure indication;

an identifying unit adapted to identify a cause for a failed attempt made by the terminal to attach to the second connection, by using said failure indication; and

a providing unit adapted to provide the identified cause to a network management function, to enable adaptation of said release-with-redirect process.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the redirecting unit is further adapted to send a second redirect message to the terminal based on the identified cause.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the message from the terminal includes information indicating that the cause is related to at least one of:

1) the terminal could not properly attach to the second connection using system information in said first redirect message,

     2) the terminal could not properly attach to the second connection using system information provided by the second connection,

     3) system information in said first redirect message was not valid,

     4) the terminal was not admitted to said second connection, and

     5) the terminal has not received any response over the second connection.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first network node is adapted to poll the terminal in response to the failure indication, to obtain said cause from the terminal.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the providing unit is further adapted to provide the identified cause to the network management function to enable at least one of:

1) examining distribution of system information from a network of the second connection to a network of the first connection,

     2) examining availability of a cell of the second connection, and

     3) examining configurations of one or more cells affecting the second connection.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the redirecting unit is further adapted to omit said system information in the second redirect message if it can be deduced from the identified cause that system information in said first redirect message is not valid.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second redirect message suggests a new cell of a third connection different from a cell of the second connection suggested by the first redirect message.

15. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the receiving unit is further adapted to receive said message with a failure indication in a connection request from the terminal.

16. A method in a user terminal, currently using a first connection to a first network node, for handling shortcomings when being redirected to a second connection in a release-with-redirect process, the method comprising:

receiving a first redirect message from the first network node with an instruction to attach to the second connection;

making an attempt to attach to the second connection wherein the attach attempt fails, determining a cause for the failed attach attempt;

sending a message to a network of the first connection with a failure indication that can be used to identify said cause for the failed attach attempt; and

receiving a second modified redirect message from the first network node based on the identified cause, wherein the second redirect message is revised from the first redirect message based on the identified cause.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the message with the failure indication includes information indicating that the cause is related to at least one of:

1) the terminal could not properly attach to the second connection using system information in said first redirect message,

     2) the terminal could not properly attach to the second connection using system information provided by the second connection,

     3) system information in said first redirect message was not valid,

     4) the terminal was not admitted to said second connection, and

     5) the terminal has not received any response over the second connection.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said message with the failure indication is sent in a connection request to the network of the first connection.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the terminal sends said cause to the network of the first connection when polled by the network in response to the failure indication.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the terminal sends the message with a failure indication to the first network node or to another node in the network of the first connection.

21. An apparatus in a user terminal, currently using a first connection to a first network node, for handling shortcomings when being redirected to a second connection in a release-with-redirect process, the apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit adapted to receive a first redirect message from the first network node with an instruction to attach to the second connection;

an attach unit adapted to make an attempt to attach to the second connection wherein the attach attempt fails;

a determining unit adapted to determine a cause for the failed attach attempt; and

a sending unit adapted to send a message to a network of the first connection with a failure indication that can be used to identify said cause for the failed attach attempt;

wherein the receiving unit is further adapted to receive a second modified redirect message from the first network node based on the identified cause, wherein the second redirect message is revised from the first redirect message based on the identified cause.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the message with the failure indication includes information indicating that the cause is related to at least one of:

1) the terminal could not properly attach to the second connection using system information in said first redirect message,

     2) the terminal could not properly attach to the second connection using system information provided by the second connection,

     3) system information in said first redirect message was not valid,

     4) the terminal was not admitted to said second connection, and

     5) the terminal has not received any response over the second connection.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the sending unit is further adapted to send said message with the failure indication in a connection request to the network of the first connection.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the sending unit is further adapted to send said cause to the network of the first connection when the terminal is polled by the network in response to the failure indication.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the sending unit is further adapted to send the message with a failure indication to the first network node or to another node in the network of the first connection.